Tag: Researching Sensory

For this weeks task we were given the assignment to make a visual representation of a smell. Our group chose the smell of money, specifically the smell of coins. When we first met to discussed this takes we attempted to represent coins through the sound they made when you dropped them. But when we talked to our lecturer she suggested that this wouldn’t represent the smell successfully. So we went back and decided to take two photographs one of a two people exchanging money and then we took a second photo conducting the same transaction but with dirt replacing the coins. This was to represent the musty smell that coins have.

I edited this task together, the discussions we had, were looking at the idea that senses were connected to memory. We also talked about the social connotations of money, making the suggestion that money is simply numbers in a computer and it does not have the same physical presence in real life.

We are participating in a bodily way. For example if we looked at what types of people do drag racing actually getting into a drag car will give us an understanding of what it feels like to do drag racing.

The concept of embodiment suggests that we need to intergrade our body and our mind.

Surveys are blunt tools, people don’t like doing them. People might lie. They don’t tell details. Good for quantity.

Sensory ethnographers are trying to find out what people really feel like. In order to do this they need to be with them so they can understand their environment. There is a level of bias with this. Where is the limit? (studying cocaine use, it would be harmful to take part in drug use)

What cultural representation does smells have?

Some smells remind us of different people. Some have a masculine connotation like oil. Some have a feminine connotation (mostly food).

Our visual experience is constantly being added to by our other senses.